


sludge

by Demiiiiiic



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt Peter, Hurt/Comfort, My First Fanfic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poisoning, Poor Peter Parker, Precious Peter Parker, Tags May Change, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-05 03:11:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14607990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demiiiiiic/pseuds/Demiiiiiic
Summary: a strange poison is coursing through Peters system and for once Tony doesn't know what to do.





	1. Chapter 1

It started when Mr.Stark had called asking if Peter wanted to head upstate to help on some suit updates. Peter was surprised, to say the least. Mr.stark usually only called when he needed Peter to help fight some bad guy or to make sure he wasn’t being reckless. So to hear him ask for Peters help upstate was pretty exciting. 

Though on the way to the facility Peter didn’t talk much. He had woken up with a bad feeling and couldn’t shake it no matter how hard he tried. Happy seemed a little worried but didn’t press the issue too much besides a quick  
“you ok kid?” 

“yeah I'm fine” Peter lied “just a little worried about my geography test tomorrow is all” and that was that.

Peter put on his earbuds and tried to stay positive. However about 2  
minutes from the facility what Peter was feeling became far worse.  
He gasped. He felt his hairs stand on end and the familiar sharp tingling at the base of his skull. 

“Happy stop the car!” Peter exclaimed  
“What? What do you mean stop the car? are you crazy kid? Tony told me to get you there by three.” Happy protested.

Yet Peter wasn’t listening to happy. He was too busy looking out the window at the black smoke rising from the facility up ahead.  
His heart was hammering in his ears and his breathing was quick. He needed to get out of the car he needed to help Mr.Stark. 

So before Happy could even think about it Peter threw on his web shooters. He shot a web at the emergency brake and pulled. 

The car lurched forward and came to a screeching halt.  
“Sorry Happy!” Peter yelled as he ran out of the car. He quickly thanked God he was wearing his suit as he threw his mask on. He quickly made his way to the facility where he saw Mr.Stark in full iron man suit fighting against a man with a silver mask.  
Peter immediately went to help Tony. 

Just as silver mask dude was about to throw a punch at Mr.Stark Peter shot a web at the closed fist stopping its trajectory and giving Mr.Stark a much-needed distraction.  
"hey dude you really need a new mask you just look like a fancy Jason Voorhees or somethin" Peter spouted. 

“Perfect timing kid” Stark stated as he shot a blast at silver mask’s stomach.  
He fell to his knees with a loud thump, and Peter webbed him in place quickly. The masked man stared at the ground and breathed heavily. Something seemed off about him. What it was Peter couldn't quite put his finger on but he didn't like it. In fact, Peter didn’t really feel great about the whole situation. 

“Uhm Mr.Stark why was that so easy?” He questioned.

Tony didn’t answer though. Instead, he opened his faceplate and pointed a repulsor at the man. “Who are you and why exactly were you ignorant enough to think you could attack the Avengers' facility?” Tony demanded. 

“Ignorant?” the man croaked “No but I would consider myself Calculated.” 

All of the sudden Peter felt that sting in his head again but before he could warn Mr.Stark the man was already breaking free from peters webs.  
He jumped straight for Peter with his arms out ready to tackle the boy. Nevertheless, Peter was fast, and his spider-sense did a lot of the work for him. 

“Hey man, what’s your deal?” Peter yelled as he shot webs at the man, who in turn did not answer but instead went for a punch that Peter evaded.

the man was fast too though maybe even faster than Peter. He quickly dodged and weaved away from the shots that now both Peter and Tony were throwing at him. It seemed no matter how many webs Peter flung or repulsor blasts Tony shot none of them hit their mark.  
It was as if the man knew where the pair would shoot. Subduing the man was becoming increasingly difficult. The man deflected and avoided every counterattack that came his way.

Until suddenly he caught one of Peters punches. 

Peter pushed his fist into the man's palm with all his strength. Peter was quite surprised it had little effect on the man. Peter gave a startled gasp to which the masked man chuckled.“Scared spider boy?” he questioned.

However before Peter could answer the man plunged a needle into the boy's neck. “see you soon kid” he whispered, and just like that in a flash of light the man was gone. 

Peters' hand shot up to where the strange man had injected him with something. He could feel the warm sticky blood dripping down the side of his neck seeping into his freshly cleaned suit. All at once peter could fell whatever it was that was swimming in his system. He felt woozy and light headed. It was overwhelming. His brain felt like it was clouding and his muscles felt like they were turning to jelly.

"Oh god," Peter faltered. 

He felt his legs couldn't support him anymore. he lurched forward and was caught by Mr.Stark. "oh hey when did you get there" Peter slurred his vision blurring around him. It looked like Mr.Stark was trying to tell him something, but for some reason, Peter couldn't hear him. All he could hear was the sound of his blood rushing through his body. His heart pounding like a welding hammer in his ears. 

Unawares to Peter, the pair had now ended up on the floor. Medics frantically running towards them. Tony was snapping his fingers in front of the boys face to get him to focus but nothing was working, Peters' eyes had rolled back and he went limp head heavy on Tony's arm.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the medics wisped the boy away all Tony could think was that he knew inviting the kid to the compound was a bad idea, now Peter could die and that was on him.

It started when Tony heard one of the kids voicemails. Peter was just calling to let Tony know that he was “ready and able to help at any moment’s notice.”

Tony had to admit he felt a little bad. He knew Peter was looking for a mentor in him. Someone to look up to and learn from, but he really didn’t know if he could be that for Peter. He was concerned he wasn’t good for the kid. Worried his “mentoring” would screw the kid up instead of helping him. So, in turn, he decided that keeping the kid at arm’s length was best. 

Though a few voicemails later and Tony really started to feel guilty. 

“Why don’t you just invite him to the facility this weekend to help in the lab or something? You said he likes science right.” Pepper Suggested one evening when Tony had confided that he was feeling particularly conscious stricken about the whole Peter situation. Tony admired how easy Pepper made it seem but was fearful of confronting the kid nonetheless. 

“Yeah but you see, it’s really not that easy” Tony testified. 

“Oh but I think it is, you're just making it harder than it has to be” Pepper argued.

Now that really made Tony think. Maybe he was being a little irrational about the whole situation. Was it really such a bad thing that Peter wanted guidance from Tony? “But what if I mess him up?” He griped. “You really don’t give yourself enough credit Tony. I'm going to bed and you should too it’s late and you have a press conference tomorrow.” Pepper gave Tony a kiss on the cheek and strolled back to their bedroom.

Tony was left on the couch with his thoughts swimming. Perhaps Pepper was right and he should invite Peter upstate. There was no harm in having the kid come for a few suit upgrades. They could chat and catch up. Tony could maybe even clear his conscience in the process. So Tony decided it would be best if swallow his nerves and call the kid the next morning and ask if he wanted to come to the facility on Sunday. He oddly enough went to bed that night feeling a little less confused about what to do with Peter.

The next morning when Tony was sitting in his lab waiting for Pepper to beckon him for the press conference he decided it was time to buck up and call Peter. Needless to say, the kid was surprised. He stuttered and laughed nervously when Tony asked if he would like to come upstate to work in the lab with him. "Uh, y-yeah I would uh yeah, yeah that would be awesome!" Peter beamed.

"Good, I'll have Happy go and pick you up on Sunday around one, but ask your aunt first I really don't want to be yelled at by her again." Tony chuckled slightly   
"Oh man, I'm so sorry about that. I still can't believe she yelled at you, that is soo-"  
"Don't worry about it kid, I'll see you Sunday" and before Peter could answer Tony hung up. He breathed a sigh of relief glad that the phone call was over. As if on cue Pepper entered the room. " You ready?" she asked with a small assuring nod of her head. "As I'll ever be" He replied with a small smirk and a huff.

The days passed by quickly. Sunday had come faster than Tony anticipated, and it was not helping Tony's unease. Now that the day of Peter’s visit was upon him he felt even more high-strung than before. What had he been thinking inviting the kid? What would they even talk about? The few times Peter had been to the Upstate facility had been filled with quick formal chatting. Considering Peter only stayed for a few minutes at a time to collect new web fluid supplies and other miscellaneous gadgets. Now that Tony thought about it he hadn't really spent more than 20 minutes with the kid. 

Tony had to get a grip. He was an adult for Christ sake. He shouldn't be freaking out over updating suits with a 16-year-old kid, but for some reason he was. in a bizarre way he kind of understood. He wanted to teach Peter. He wanted the kid to look up to him but was worried that if he allowed that to happen he'd ruin Peter. Or worse end up getting the kid killed. He had to put those new and unusual paternal wants and frets to the back of his head though. 

Tony had just gotten a text from Happy stating that he would be arriving in about ten minutes when all of a sudden there was a blaring alarm. Friday was warning him that someone was on the roof of the compound attempting to gun down security. 

"Friday dispatch Mark 47"   
"On it boss" 

in a matter of seconds, Tony was being encased in his suit and blasting off to the roof. He found a man in a strange silver mask and white coat holding two guns and shooting wildly yet accurately at the men attempting to subdue him. Tony noticed something odd. The man was only shooting to incapacitate not kill. 

"What consider yourself to nice to murder people? that's pretty generous of you " Tony quipped. He landed in front of the man and shot a repulsor blast his way. The man bolted away from the blast, and instead of answering began to fight.

He threw punch after punch Tony's way even managing to make contact a few times. Tony was experienced in fighting though. He was able to easily evade and counter-attacked swiftly. Just as the man was about to send another punch Tony's way his fist was intercepted by a sticky white substance. 

"hey dude you really need a new mask you just look like a fancy Jason Voorhees or somethin" Peter spouted. Personally Tony thought he looked more like a fancy grim reaper

"Perfect timing kid" Tony smiled slightly appreciating the much-needed window of opportunity. He shot a repulsor blast hitting the masked man straight in the gut sending him to his knees. He was glad the kid had gotten there when he did or the whole thing would have dragged on for a bit, and frankly Tony did not schedule fighting some idiot into his day.

“Uhm Mr.Stark why was that so easy?” He questioned.

But Tony didn’t answer. Instead, he opened his faceplate and pointed a repulsor at the man. “Who are you and why exactly were you ignorant enough to think you could attack the Avengers' facility?” Tony demanded.

“Ignorant?” the man croaked “No, but I would consider myself Calculated”Something seemed Sinister about the man's tone. 

Next thing Tony knew the man had broken free from Peters webs and was running to tackle the kid. Peter was fast though   
"hey man what’s your deal?!" Peter yelled as he shot webs at the man. Who in turn did not answer but instead went for a punch that Peter evaded. The man was fast too maybe even faster than Peter. He quickly dodged and weaved away from the shots that now both Peter and Tony were throwing his way. It seemed no matter how many webs Peter flung or repulsor blasts Tony shot none of them hit their mark. It was like the man was anticipating their attacks.  
Subduing the man was becoming increasingly difficult. The man skillfully deflected and avoided every strike that came his way.

Until suddenly he caught one of Peters punches.

"Friday get me a clear shot."  
"I'm trying boss but something seems to be blocking my sensors" Friday replied in an almost anxious voice.

Peter pushed his fist into the man's palm with all his strength which much to Tony's surprise had little effect on the man as he pushed back. Peter gave a surprised gasp to which the masked man chuckled.“Scared spider boy?” he questioned.

But before Peter could answer the man plunged a needle into the boy's neck.

Tony's eyes went wide, he raised he had to shoot a repulsor blast but it had been too late the man had disappeared in a bright flash of light leaving a stunned Peter. His hand was pressed on his neck. He looked just about ready to tumble over. Which is exactly what the boy did. Tony was instantly there to catch Peter. he pulled the kids mask off and inspected the boy with a worried expression. Peter didn't look so good he was pale and his lips were slightly blue. There were black looking veins spreading from the spot where the strange man had plunged the needle into peters neck. His skin was clammy and drops of sweat were forming on his forehead. 

"Peter, can you hear me?" Tony sputtered. The kid looked extremely out of it. 

"When did you get the there" the boy slurred he was struggling to stay awake his eyes rolling. He was making slight choking noises which scared Tony more than anything. The kid looked like he was dying. This couldn't be happening. Peter was supposed to come upstate to work on suit upgrades not fight some weirdo and get poisoned. Tony couldn't help but blame himself for all of this as he snapped his fingers in Peters' face. The boy was unresponsive. Tony was distraught as he watched the boys head fell limp in his arms and his eyes closed. The medics wisped peter away and all Tony could think was that he shouldn't have invited the kid this weekend. Now Peter could die and that was on him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why are you looking at me like that?” Peter asked concern filling his eyes. It seemed like the boy didn't even realize he had just lashed out.
> 
> “Just a bit worried about you is all” Tony half lied. He was exceedingly worried about Peter. Whatever it was that was in the kid Tony had to get it out Immediately before things got much worse.

Peter felt wrong. He was confused, his head hurt and his body ached. He felt like a building had been dropped on him...again. Peter groaned which in turn just made him feel like needles were stabbing his esophagus. Most of all though, Peters' neck felt like it was on fire like someone had branded him. He was disoriented. He couldn't remember where he was or how he had gotten there. Peter attempted to open his eyes and was met with a stabbing bright light. He hissed squeezing his eyes shut. He was really beginning to feel that migraine now. 

“Friday Lower the brightness in here” Peter heard a familiar voice whisper.

He peeled his eyes open slowly and was met with a much more bearable level of luminosity this time around. He blinked a few times in an attempt to focus his eyes. Peter was in a big room. Various types of medical equipment were strewn across lab tables. The walls were tall and metallic grey with screens littering the surface which exhibited various vitals signs that Peter assumed were his own. The needle in his arm was a clear indication that he was in some sort of hospital.

“Hey kid Glad to see your eyes open again.” He turned his head and was met with the worried face of Tony Stark.

Peter gave a slight smile and aimed to speak but his throat felt like a desert and his voice escaped as a hoarse whisper. He coughed which felt like sandpaper rubbing against his esophagus. His lips were met with a cup of water that he greedily grabbed and guzzled down. “Slow down there kid or you're gonna vomit.” Mr. Stark warned. Peter gave a dissatisfied grunt when the paper cup was taken away from him.

“How are you feelin kid? You gave us quite the scare there.” Tony spoke in a low voice. 

“Not that great sir. Everything kinda hurts.” Peter cringed. Speaking still hurt and his voice was hoarse. “Mr.Stark what happened?” 

“You don’t remember silver mask guy sticking a syringe in your neck. You would think something like that'd be really hard to forget.” Tony joked slightly hoping to ease his nerves. It concerned Tony that Peter couldn’t remember the strange battle seeing as it had occurred not more than a day ago.

“That explains why my neck hurts so much,” Peter noted. 

“What exactly was in that syringe Mr.Stark?” The boy inquired worriedly. Peter could feel whatever it was he was injected with making its way through his system. He felt it flowing through his veins invading his body. It was like whatever the substance was filled every crevice of his insides and left him feeling weak. He was out of it and couldn’t seem to focus. He was startled back to reality by the sound of Mr.Starks voice.

“We don’t know what you were injected with Peter but we’re working extremely hard to figure it out.” Peter sighed he hated to admit it but he was scared. He felt horrible and probably looked horrible too. He knew for a fact that whatever it was that was in his system was the culprit of his pain.

“Look, Peter, I don’t want to freak you out but I don’t want to lie to you either” Tony’s brows were knitted and he looked a bit nervous “so I’m going to give you some information but you have to promise not to freak out on me ok?” Tony questioned seriously. “A-alright” Peter stuttered hoping he could keep that promise.

“Whatever that man shot you up with it’s not from earth so it's taking a bit of time to find a way to get it out of your system.” Tony elaborated. Peters' eyes went wide “So you’re telling me that I have an alien substance in my body making me sick?” Peter gulped attempting to suppress the panic bubbling in his chest. “Y-you can fix me though right? I mean if anyone can fix me it's you Mr. Stark right?” Peter rasped. Peter was breathing heavily and could feel his heart rate picking up. 

“Hey- hey kid it’s alright you’re alright I'm gonna fix you ok that’s a promise.” Tony reasoned. 

Peter felt a surge of anger rush through him like a wave washing over his senses making him furious. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep” Peter hissed glaring at the man. 

Tony was dumbstruck. He had never heard Peter speak like that and the look the boy was giving him sent shivers down the man’s spine. Peter shook his head as if reorienting himself. The kid's whole demeanor changed in an instant. Peter went from glaring daggers at Tony to looking at him with confused doe eyes in a matter of seconds. Tony studied the boy for a moment eyes widening slightly as he noticed the veins around the puncture wound on the kid's neck becoming black.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Peter asked concern filling his eyes. It seemed like the boy didn't even realize he had just lashed out.

“Just a bit worried about you is all” Tony half lied. He was exceedingly worried about Peter. Whatever it was that was in the kid Tony had to get it out Immediately before things got much worse. 

“I called your aunt she should be on her way soon. She said she had to finish her shift first. I may not have told her the severity of what’s going on which I’m guessing is the only reason she hasn’t stormed through those doors screaming bloody murder.” Tony voiced earning a small chuckle from Peter and effectively changing the subject. 

Without warning, Peters' hand shot up to his neck and his eyes went wide. He cried out as white-hot pain flared up in his neck and radiated throughout his entire body. It seemed as if someone was holding a flame to Peters' wound. He whimpered as he roughly pressed his hand to his neck hoping it would somehow stop the pain. Peters breathing was heavy and sweat dripped down his forehead.

“-ter can you hear me?! Peter?” The kid could faintly hear Mr.Stark calling his name. 

“Friday get Helen in here right now!” Tony Yelled watching Helplessly as Peters' eyes rolled into the back of his head and he began convulsing. Tony was frozen as Helen Cho ran into the room nurses in tow. 

He watched numbly as they yelled things at each other and tapped screens wildly. There was a hand on his shoulder ushering him out of the room “It’s best if you give them some space Tony.” Happy offered. 

And just like that Tony was out of the room staring blankly out of the large window adjacent to Peter's room wondering how Peters trip upstate had gone so horribly wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> didn't really edit this one too much I've been super busy I'm trying to update as much as I can :)

For two days Peter's eyes remained closed. Occasionally Tony would see a twitch in the boy's face or a small flutter behind his eyes, yet he stayed basically comatose. Tony was even more worried than he thought possible. 

The boy looked sickly. His skin was pale and clammy. Purple bags were beginning to form under his eyes, and his hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. What worried Tony most of all though was the injection site on Peter’s neck. The black veins surrounding the wound had begun to spread. The strange dark tendrils had reached peters face and back in the days since the boy's seizure. The jarring part was that they were no closer to figuring out what it was that was in Peter. And annoyingly enough they needed to understand the substance before they could remove it. 

That frustrated Tony to no avail. 

Whatever the poison was had a complex structure, unlike anything Tony or Helen Cho had ever seen. The blood sample that Helen had analyzed was strange, to say the least. The poison had been attaching itself to Peter’s enhanced cells and infecting them turning them a tar-like black color in the process. It was frightening to witness the virus wrap around the kid's cells. Peter was apparently dying from the inside out. His vitals were all over the place. His heart rate was erratic and nonsequential, and his temperature was low even though he was sweating through his shirt. The whole situation was extremely worrisome. 

To make matters worse when Peter’s Aunt May had arrived it was chaos. She was in a panic yelling at Tony, naturally. She even slapped him, which did not feel great. 

May shouted furiously calling him a “Good for nothing pompous asshole.”   
Tony knew he deserved it. He hadn't told her the severity of the situation when it mattered and now Peter was extremely ill and possibly dying. He wouldn't even wake up for Christ's sake. May had decided he was allowed in Peter’s room only when she wasn't there otherwise she didn’t want to even see him.

Pepper had been tasked with consoling May and keeping her busy so that Tony could continue to help the situation without May’s disapproval. Not to mention Peper wasn’t too happy with Tony either so she was happy to spend time with the frantic aunt. So there Tony was watching the boy struggle to breathe feeling guilty as hell when all of a sudden Peters eyes snapped open. 

“Alert Helen and her team immediately!” Tony roared at Friday.  
"on it boss" 

The boy took a sharp intake of breath that got caught in his throat. A strained gagging sound escaped the kid's lips. Without warning the boy jolted up, keeled over his hospital bed and began to retch black sludge. 

Tony was horrified.   
His Heart was beating fast and he wanted to panic but he knew there was no time for that.  
He knew he had to focus and stand back as Helen ran into the room and immediately started assisting Peter. After Peter was done coughing up black sludge he was still heaving and gasping for air. Peter clung to the side of the bed so hard Tony swore the boy would break his own fingers. 

“Peter, can you hear me?” Helen asked gently to which the kid nodded slowly. 

Tony as quietly as possible stepped closer to the boy's bed. He attempted not to disturb Helen and her team as he muttered a small “Peter?” The boy raised his head and gave a strange look. It was as if the boy was conflicted. He looked as though he was in pain. Though as quickly as that weary look came it went and was replaced with an enraged expression. 

In one swift moment, the boy pulled out his out his I.V. and nasal cannula, jumped up from his bed and ran straight for Tony. The man’s eyes went wide as Peter lunged towards him and pinned him against the wall. There was an array of black veins in his eyes creeping towards his irises. The boy was breathing heavily. There was a sense of uncertainty and agitation in the boy's posture, and then all at once, he released Tony from his grip. His face softened and his eyes went wide. Peter stared at his own hands in bewilderment. 

“Mr.Stark what’s happening to me?” Peter croaked. In truth, Tony didn’t have an answer. He had absolutely no idea what was happening to the kid or how to stop it and that truly frightened him.


	5. I’m sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Important Authors Note

My sister passed away in a car accident and so forth I won’t be updating for a while I just don’t have the drive right now after everything. I promise I’ll come back to this story in a bit. I just need some time.

**Author's Note:**

> so this is my first work on this site or on any site really pls be kind but constructive criticism is more than welcome <3


End file.
